Germany news: Merz says fuel tax lowered to ease price surge

Berlin is cutting fuel tax and weapons maker Rheinmetall prepares to build missiles in a new venture.

A fisherman triggered a massive search effort before being found drunk and asleep in a car.

DW has the latest.

Here is a roundup of the latest headlines from Germany on Monday, April 13, 2026:
Germany's Merz pushes Netanyahu toward peace in Lebanon, voices concern over West Bank
In a Monday call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu , German Chancellor Friedrich Merz urged an end to hostilities in Lebanon and the start of direct talks between Netanyahu and Lebanese leaders in the pursuit of peace.

Merz reportedly also expressed "grave concern" over the Israeli-occupied West Bank in the call, telling Netanyahu that there "must be no de facto partial annexation of the West Bank."
Members of Netanyahu's far-right government have openly called for annexation of the Palestinian territory, despite international outcry.

Recently, Israel's hawkish finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, a proponent of the West Bank takeover , also called on Netanyahu to occupy and take control of southern Lebanon up to the Litani River and for its population to "evacuated."
READ — Dieselgate: Audi bosses, engineers fail to reach plea deal
Two former Audi bosses and two engineers are facing charges over Dieselgate, a massive emissions scandal that still haunts Germany's automobile sector.

The trial, which began in Munich in February, sees two former Development Board chairs and two leading engineers facing charges for their alleged role in the affair, which involved millions of automobiles from the Volkswagen Group being manipulated in a way that hid their actual emissions.

Read the full story by clicking here.

Lufthansa cabin crew calls for two-day strike
Lufthansa flight attendants will strike on Wednesday and Thursday, the UFO union announced on Monday.

The strike will also apply to cabin crew at Lufthansa CityLine, UFO said.

Cabin crew already walked off the job last Friday for a one-day strike, forcing hundreds of cancellations at Germany's largest airline.

The move marks the fifth wave of strikes for the airline.

It all comes directly after Lufthansa pilots staged a two-day strike on Monday and Tuesday , meaning Lufthansa flights at Frankfurt and Munich will have been affected for four consecutive days.

German officials find no antisemitic motive in Berlin beating of Jewish man
A Berlin appeals court on Monday reduced the sentence of a 25-year-old man convicted of brutally beating a Jewish man in 2024.

Berlin's Tiergarten Local Court sentenced the attacker to three years in prison in April 2025.

Monday's ruling revised that sentence down to two-and-a-half years after finding that the crime had not been motivated by antisemitism .

The attacker and the victim were both students at Berlin's Free University when the incident took place outside a bar in Berlin-Mitte on February 2, 2024.

The perpetrator confessed to following the victim out of the bar, knocking him down from behind and kicking him in the head — causing facial fractures and a brain hemorrhage.

He apologized to the victim on Monday, and told the court that he had entered therapy.

Monday's decision remains open to appeal.

WATCH — How Berlin is being future-proofed by its citizens
Grassroots initiatives are driving urban sustainability and climate resilience in Berlin, from community greening to low-traffic neighborhoods and smart city planning.

DW meets CityLAB Berlin, NGO Changing Cities and paper planes e.V to see what sort of difference is being made, and how Berlin's future is being reimagined.

While open data, climate dashboards and smart water systems help tackle heat, flooding and emissions, the city is still seeing gaps in mobility policy and long-term planning.

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Drunk angler's kit triggers overnight rescue drama
A late-night search operation has been launched in Stralsund, on Germany's Baltic Sea coast, after abandoned fishing gear raised fears of an emergency.

Police said witnesses had spotted a rod, a bucket of caught herring, and a chair on a pier Saturday evening.

The angler, however, was nowhere to be seen.

The report prompted a multi-agency rescue effort.

The German Maritime Search and Rescue Service, fire brigade, and police deployed lifeboats, inflatable boats, and sonar equipment, assuming the fisherman may have fallen into the water.

After about three hours, the search was called off due to darkness.

Firefighters later found the 43-year-old man asleep in his car nearby.

Police said he had left the equipment to reserve his fishing spot for the next day.

A breath test showed a blood alcohol level of 0.13 %.

Driving above 0.05% can result in fines and driver’s license penalty points in Germany, and it becomes a criminal offense to drive above 0.11%.

It was initially unclear if the man had driven or intended to do so.

Rheinmetall to build missiles with Dutch-based Destinus
Weapons maker Rheinmetall has announced plans to expand into ballistic missile production through a new joint venture.

The Düsseldorf-based firm said it will partner with aerospace company Destinus to develop and manufacture advanced rocket systems, including cruise missiles and ballistic rocket artillery.

The new company, to be called Rheinmetall Destinus Strike Systems, is expected to launch in the second half of 2026, pending regulatory approval.

Rheinmetall will hold a 51% stake, with Dutch-based Destinus owning 49%.

Destinus said it already supplies the Ukrainian military and has production capacity in Europe for more than 2,000 cruise missile systems per year.

Rheinmetall said conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East show demand for such systems could rise to tens of thousands annually.

The companies say the venture aims to close the gap between Europe's defense needs and current industrial capacity, targeting a market worth hundreds of millions of euros in the short term and potentially billions in the long run.

Rheinmetall boosts NATO defenses with Baltic weapons plant
Fuel prices jump again after brief decline
Fuel prices in Germany have started rising again after a short period of decline, driven by higher oil prices on global markets.

Data from the German Automobile Club showed a sharp increase around midday Monday, marking the biggest jump since new pricing rules took effect.

Under the recent regulation, petrol stations are only allowed to raise prices once per day at midday.

The latest increase between 11:45 am and 12:15 pm was the largest since the rule was introduced.

Diesel prices rose to about €2.30 per liter for diesel ($10.19 per gallon), while Super E10 increased to about €2.12 per liter ($9.39 per gallon).

IN PICTURES — World's oldest gorilla celebrates birthday in Berlin
She is known as the "grand dame" of Berlin Zoo, and Fatou reached the grand old age of 69 this Monday.

Fatou was treated to a meal of her favorite vegetables, pre-cooked as she no longer has any teeth!

Although suffering from arthritis, Fatou is still certainly mobile.

READ — Lufthansa pilot strike disrupts flights across Germany
Flights operated by Lufthansa have been heavily disrupted due to a pilot strike.

Airports, including Frankfurt, say delays and cancellations were affecting flights on Monday and Tuesday, while Munich Airport has reported additional disruptions at the carrier's subsidiary Eurowings.

Read more about this story by clicking here.

Germany launches nationwide speed enforcement week
Police across Germany are launching a week of intensified speed checks.

According to the German Automobile Club (ADAC), there’ll be extra monitoring on highways, federal roads, and in urban areas.

The focus is on accident-prone stretches of road and areas such as schools, construction sites, and hospitals.

Most German states are participating in the campaign, although some —  Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria and Brandenburg —  are focusing only on the main day, Wednesday.

Only the western state of Saarland is not participating.

Those caught in speed traps could expect a fine, points on their license, and potentially a driving ban.

Up to speed: Monitoring speed on the German Autobahn
Retailers cite data rules as hurdle in theft fight
German retailers have raised concerns that strict data protection rules are hindering efforts to combat shoplifting .

According to a study cited by the group, more than 400,000 cases were recorded in 2024, with over half of retailers affected.

Companies also reported an increasing professional approach and willingness to use violence among offenders.

"Shoplifting is a massive burden for retailers, regardless of size or location," Dirk Binding, Head of Retail at the German Chamber of Industry and Commerce (DIHK), explained.

"And if they want to protect themselves, they face bureaucratic hurdles."
According to the study, many retailers view the use of video surveillance and AI-supported analytics as a possible solution.

However, it said, this has been thwarted by red tape.

Companies "encounter significant legal hurdles when using these technologies," the DIHK said.

A key problem is the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), it said.

Among other things, the rule stipulates a maximum storage period of 72 hours for video footage.

The use of artificial intelligence also offers great potential, the chamber said, but is "currently legally limited."
Merz welcomes 'heavy defeat' for Orban in Hungary
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz expressed relief that the result of elections in Hungary were ​so clear, after the defeat of nationalist ‌leader Viktor Orban .

Merz said the result showed of Sunday's vote — in which opposition leader Peter Magyar swept to victory — was a sign that Western democracy could prove resilient ‌to ​Kremlin interference.

Merz said the result of the parliamentary election on Sunday was a "heavy defeat" for "right-wing populism".

"Hungary has sent a very clear signal against right-wing populism across the whole world.

In that respect, yesterday was...

a good day," Merz said.

"This demonstrates that our democratic societies ​are evidently much more resilient to Russian ​propaganda and further ​external interference in ​such elections," ‌Merz told the press ​conference in Berlin that followed coalition talks.

Several European national security sources have reported that Moscow deployed a team of political technologists to sway the vote for Orban, Russian leader Vladimir Putin's closest ally within the European Union.

Germany rehearses mass evacuations for a NATO war
Chancellor outlines reform agenda after coalition talks
The German chancellor announced a wide range of reforms following coalition talks.

Friedrich Merz outlined changes to the statutory health insurance system, the 2027 federal budget, and a tax reform for lower- and middle-income earners set to begin in 2027.

Merz described these as significant initiatives now entering a detailed planning phase.

"This is just the beginning," Merz said, adding it was "the start of a whole series of consultations that we will continue."
He said the measures were aimed at making the state "more modern and just" and strengthening public confidence in the country's ability to function.

The agreements show the coalition is able to move forward despite differing views, the chancellor said.

Merz said the goal is to strengthen public confidence in the state and restore trust where it has been lost, emphasizing recognition for those who contribute to the country's economy and society.

Merz plans temporary fuel tax cut amid Iran war
Germany is planning a temporary cut to fuel taxes after talks between coalition party leaders.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz has announced that the government would reduce energy taxes on diesel and petrol by about 17 cents per liter (19.9 US cents) for two months.

Speaking on Monday morning, Merz said the relief should be passed on to consumers by oil companies to ease pressure from rising prices.

"This will very quickly improve the situation for motorists and businesses in the country," Merz said.

Prices at Germany's pumps have soared in recent weeks after the fighting in Iran blocked most of the passage of oil tankers through the crucial Strait of Hormuz .

"This conflict, this war, is the root cause of problems we also have in our own country," said Merz, of the conservative Christian Democrats.

The chancellor said he and Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul were doing everything they could to work towards an end to the war.

Whatever the outcome, Merz warned that the war's effects were likely to be enduring.

"The German economy will face a significant burden over an extended period," he said.

The announcement followed a meeting with Markus Söder, who heads the Bavarian conservative Christian Social Union, and the center-left Social Democrat co-leaders Lars Klingbeil and Bärbel Bas.

The coalition also intends to allow employers to pay a tax- and contribution-free relief bonus of €1,000 ($1,170) in 2026.

To offset the resulting tax revenue shortfall, the tobacco tax will go up as early as 2026.

How Germans feel about daily fuel price freeze